SAN DIEGO: 2016: 68-94, fifth place
Manager: Andy Green (second season)
Who's new? RHP Jhoulys Chacin, RHP Trevor Cahill, RHP Jered Weaver
Who's gone? RHP Tyson Ross, RHP Brandon Morrow, IF/OF Alexi Amarista, OF Jon Jay, OF Oswaldo Arcia, IF/OF Adam Rosales
Projected lineup: LF Travis Jankowski (.245, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 30 SB), CF Manuel Margot (.243, 0, 3 in 10 games), 1B Wil Myers (.259, 28, 94, 28), 3B Yangervis Solarte (.286, 15, 71), RF Hunter Renfroe (.371, 4, 14 in 11 games), 2B Ryan Schmipf (.217, 20, 51), C Austin Hedges (.125, 0, 1 in eight games), SS Luis Sardinas (.287, 2, 13)
Rotation: RH Jered Weaver (12-12, 5.06 ERA with Angels), RH Jhoulys Chacin (6-8, 4.81 with Angels and Braves), LH Clayton Richard (3-3, 2.52), RH Trevor Cahill (4-4, 2.74 with Cubs), LH Christian Friedrich (5-12, 4.80) or RH Luis Perdomo (9-10, 5.71)
Key relievers: RH Brandon Maurer (0-5, 4.52, 13/19 SV), RH Carter Capps (did not pitch - Tommy John surgery), LH Ryan Buchter (3-0, 2.86), LH Brad Hand (4-4, 2.92), RH Kevin Quackenbush (7-7, 3.92), LH Keith Hessler (1-0, 3.38 with Diamondbacks and Padres), RH Jarred Cosart (0-3, 6.03 with Marlins and Padres)
Hot spots: Bullpen. San Diego's version of a position battle is Green fighting the temptation to bench a young player in the middle of a long slump. Since the Padres are playing for next year anyway, watching bullpen roles shake out might be someone's version of fun. Maurer, the incumbent closer, blew six of 19 save opportunities last year. Hand and Buchter are a pair of workhorse lefties who wouldn't look out of place on a contending team. The wild card is Capps, who is healthy after missing all of 2016 following Tommy John surgery. A year before, he struck out 58 batters in 31 innings with the Marlins.
Outlook: Look up 'rebuilding team' in the dictionary. With only eight active players on the books for more than $1 million ' excluding the retained salaries of Matt Kemp, Melvin Upton Jr. and several other former Padres ' San Diego will field MLB's lowest payroll. Theirs is the youngest roster in baseball too, with perhaps only two players who have turned 30 by Opening Day. Their best prospects are college-age kids in the low minors. So what's to like? Prospect watchers have been awaiting the arrival of Margot and Renfroe for years. The backup catcher, Christian Bethancourt, might pitch. Capps has an unusual delivery. The Padres also ran the bases aggressively under Green, and stolen bases are fun. How's that for a marketing slogan?

CHICAGO CUBS: 2016: 103-58, won World Series
Manager: Joe Maddon (third season)
Who's new? OF Jon Jay, RHP Wade Davis, LHP Brett Anderson, RHP Koji Uehara, LHP Brian Duensing, RHP Eddie Butler
Who's gone? OF Dexter Fowler, IF/OF Jorge Soler, LHP Aroldis Chapman, LHP Travis Wood, RHP Trevor Cahill, RHP Jason Hammel
Projected lineup: LF Kyle Schwarber (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI in two games), 3B Kris Bryant (.292, 39, 102), 1B Anthony Rizzo (.292, 32, 109), 2B Ben Zobrist (.272, 18, 76), SS Addison Russell (.238, 21, 95), RF Jason Heyward (.230, 7, 49, 11 SB), C Willson Contreras (.282, 12, 35), CF Jon Jay (.291, 2, 26 with Padres) or Albert Almora (.277, 3, 14 in 47 games)
Rotation: LH Jon Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA), RH Jake Arrieta (18-8, 3.10), RH Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13), RH John Lackey (11-8, 3.35), LH Brett Anderson (1-2, 11.91 in four games with Dodgers) or LH Mike Montgomery (4-5, 2.52 with Mariners and Cubs) or RH Eddie Butler (2-5, 7.17 with Rockies) or LH Rob Zastryzny (1-0, 1.13 ERA in eight games) or RH Alec Mills (0-0, 13.50 in three games with Royals)
Key relievers: RH Wade Davis (2-1, 1.87, 27/30 SV with Royals), RH Pedro Strop (2-2, 2.85), RH Hector Rondon (2-3, 3.53, 18/23 SV), RH Koji Uehara (2-3, 3.45, 7/9 SV with Red Sox), RH Carl Edwards Jr. (0-1, 3.75), RH Justin Grimm (2-1, 4.10), LH Brian Duensing (1-0, 4.05 with Royals)
Hot spots: Fifth Starter. Of all the candidates vying to replace Hammel, who signed with Kansas City as a free agent, most have plenty of upside but didn't log many innings last year. That includes Anderson, who had one productive season and one unproductive season for the Dodgers. Keep an eye on southpaw Montgomery, who tossed two shutouts as a starter for the Mariners in 2015, came to the Cubs last year in a midseason trade, then was effective as a reliever. Last time he was on the mound, he recorded the save in Game 7 of the World Series.
Outlook: There hasn't been a back-to-back champion this century. For opponents of the Cubs, that might be the most tangible nugget of hope. Most of the key players return from a powerhouse team that played historically good defense, got no fewer than 165 innings from each of its top five starters, and featured a deep lineup led by NL MVP Kris Bryant. In the bullpen, two-time All-Star Davis is capable of replacing closer Chapman if he's healthy. Among the Cubs' regular position players, only Zobrist and new center fielder Jay are over 30 ' everyone else is either entering or in the midst of his prime. This is a strong outlook.

PREVIEW

Cubs seek consistency in series opener vs. Padres

CHICAGO - The inconsistent Chicago Cubs hope to build on some momentum from a successful weekend on the road.

The defending champions will get their first chance when they host the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game series Monday night at Wrigley Field.

Chicago (34-34) is at the .500 mark for the third time this month and Sunday's 7-1 win in Pittsburgh was only its fourth in 11 games since getting to 30-27 with a 10-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on June 6.

The Cubs are returning home after winning their first road series since the end of April. Chicago went 3-3 on the trip through New York and Pittsburgh and scored 30 runs in its three wins.

Fans will likely get a chance to see something they've only viewed from afar during the road trip -- first baseman Anthony Rizzo batting leadoff.

Rizzo was placed at the leadoff spot Tuesday in New York and homered to center field on the second pitch he saw. In five games as a leadoff hitter, Rizzo is 9-for-22 with three homers and eight RBIs.

"If we win ballgames, I'll be the leadoff hitter for the rest of my career," Rizzo said. "But no, the objective is the pitchers are going to throw strike one. They want to get into a groove. You've got to be ready to hit."

Rizzo also takes a 12-game hitting streak into Monday's game after going 3-for-5 Sunday. During the streak, Rizzo is batting .409 (18-for-45) during the streak, which equals a career high.

Chicago fans' exposure to Rizzo as the leadoff hitter will be brief as the Cubs head back on the road for 11 games after Wednesday. Rizzo was 0-for-10 when the Cubs scored five runs and were swept in a three-game series at San Diego from May 29-31.

The Padres have utilized the long ball of late, with eight home runs over two games and 18 in their last nine, including four from Yangervis Solarte.

"He went through a slow spell early part of May, late part of April, and it took a while to get his swing back," Padres manager Andy Green told reporters. "We bounced him to the two-hole, and he started to get base hits again. We always knew the power was going to come again, and it's coming now."

San Diego finally cooled off on Sunday with no homers in a 2-1 loss to Milwaukee at Miller Park. The Padres struck out 10 times and mustered six hits Sunday.

Lester makes his 15th start of the season and ninth at home. In his last start on Tuesday against the Mets he gave up just one run in seven innings while striking out a season high-tying 10 in a 14-3 Cubs victory.

Lester also had a single during a six-run second inning and recorded his 150th victory.

"I don't like to talk about personal stuff -- I always try to put it off until I'm done, see where I'm at, reflect," Lester said. "When it's all said and done, well go home and sit on the couch and reflect on the whole deal, see where we're at."

Lester is in a select group with Bartolo Colon, CC Sabathia, John Lackey, Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez and Jered Weaver.

"Well that's pretty cool -- I could probably name most of those guys," Lester said. "That's really good company. But at the same time, we've got a long way to go."

Lester is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in four career starts against the Padres. He went 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts against San Diego in 2016.

Richard, who makes his 10th start of the season, spent portions of the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Cubs, going 4-3 with three saves in 48 appearances, mostly in relief. He is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA in three career starts against the Cubs.

Richard has won three of his last five starts, including an 8 2/3-inning effort in a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. Richard allowed just two runs on eight hits, striking out six and walking just two.